East River Ferry

Season: Summer

Visit three boroughs in one day by catching a ride on the East River Ferry. It will be the same price as purchasing a subway ticket. You can buy one at any ferry landing. The ferries operate frequently (I’d say around 3 times in an hour). Click here for the route and hours. They also sell refreshments on the boat in case you forget to bring a few snacks and drinks. There is also an option to stay indoors on the first level which is air conditioned or enjoy the breeze from the second level. You can catch this ferry from Hunters Point South, my favorite spot in Long Island City, and head down to DUMBO or Wall Street. There is so much to do at all three sights. You can take the ferry once every year and discover new things at all the spots. Take the ferry on a 80 degree sunny day. Take it during evening hours on a date night. Take it during the sunset. Go with children. Go alone.

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Forest Park

Forest Hills, NY

No admissions fee, free parking lot (says permit only but we were able to park for two hours; the locals say you don't get towed...at your own risk)

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

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Unless you live close by and don't own a car, Forest Park is not something you really have to go out of your way to see.  There are far better hiking options in the upstate New York, the Bronx and on Long Island if you want to stay within a two hour radius.  I took a bunch of friends here the second week of November thinking it would be peak foliage but was disappointed as the forest was still pretty green.  The signage here is no good and the map I found misleading.  We didn't walk the entire park but the areas we did weren't anything too exciting.  Just trails.  No surprises such as creeks or beaches or mountain tops to be found at the end of a hike.  The only surprise here was a trail of horse footprints that had us anticipating a horse siting for two hours until we finally found a woman horse back riding passed us.  According to a local, there is an equestrian track nearby and you could rent a horse and ride through the park.  I know nothing more about this alleged claim.  But it's worth exploring for those who are interested.   

However, the park east of Metropolitan Avenue has a lovely playground and is quite serene and beautiful, with gorgeous homes surrounding the perimeter.  I grew up in this area and have amazing memories playing here as a child.  

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Rockaway Beach

Rockaway Beach, NY

Optimum Seasons:  Summer

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A few things to know about Rockaway Beach:

1) After Hurricane Sandy, they rebuilt the boardwalk which stretches from Beach 9th Street to Beach 126th.  On this particular day, we visited the beach at 86th Street (which is close to the popular Rockaway Beach and Surf Club a couple of blocks north)

2)  It is the only beach in all of NYC that you are allowed to legally surf in.  At B86, one side of the rocks was strictly for surfing and the other was for us regular folk who just wanted to swim in the ocean.  (You'll see the rocks I mention in the video below)

3)  It is a myth that the water gets cleaner further east on the Island.  I found the beach here as clean as any in the Hamptons or on Long Island.  I guess it just depends on the day.  Or perhaps this is actually cleaner?  No seaweed the day we went.  Great waves.  Shallow water.  Maybe it was just our luck?

4)  Free street parking.  And no admittance fee.  At least on the weekday.  Or the day we went.  No one charged us anything.  I highly suggest going on a weekday as the weekends will surely be crowded with locals!  

5)  There are playgrounds all along the boardwalk for the children.  

6) They have pads to walk on to get to the beach comfortably if you have a stroller.

7)  The concession stands here beat those on any I've experienced on Long Island.  It's just a cute pretty place to eat.   

8)  The area is not so sexy once you walk about a block away.  For those who don't know, The Rockaways were like the Hamptons of New York in the early 1900s.  Once they built the subway and railroad system in the 50s, the area lost it's appeal to the wealthy and became accessible to all.  They moved out east, and government built low and middle income housing to accommodate the new population.  The Rockaways even had a famous amusement park that rivaled Coney Island's but was demolished to build these building.  As of late, developers have recognized the Rockaways as a potential goldmine.  It is along the ocean and close to the city.  You'll notice in my pictures that there are new apartment complexes on the beach.  I project in 20 years the Rockaways will be all cleaned up and a popular destination for all!!!!  

9)  Rockaway Beach and Surf Club is an adorable taco shack a couple blocks away from the beach on 86th street.  It is kind of easy to miss as your drive past it.  The signage is small.  It is right under the elevated subway line and kind of has a Wynwood Miami feel to it.  There is outdoor seating and well priced food and juices.  It is just way adorable.  You can't come to the Rockaway and not make a stop here!

10)  Even the bathrooms were better than those at other beaches I've been to.  There were lots of clean stalls.  Like, you don't have to worry about holding anything in here!

11)  If you are super adventurous, bring a bike so you can ride down the entire boardwalk.  In the evening.  During sunset.  Next on my bucket list!

12)  If you are visited from afar, it's worth driving down the entire peninsula (probably a 20 minute local drive at most from one end to the other).  Check the entire culture of the Rockaways.  Some points are more affluent than others.  Towards the west end there are some beautiful homes.  

For a list of other beaches, click here.

Check the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), videos below, and add your comments.  And follow me on facebook and instagram to see my live adventures!  And share this page with your friends if you appreciate.

 

Long Island City (Hunters Point and Gantry State Plaza)

Long Island City, NY

Optimum Seasons:  Summer

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It has been awe inducing watching Long Island City's transformation over the past decade.  What was once a sketchy area filled with old wearhouses on the Queens side of the Queensborough Bridge is now a mini skyline of its own.  "Build and they will come" as the saying goes.  Now all these new restaurants and supermarkets are popping up throughout the area to meet the demand of the growing population.  And everything is brand new and clean.  If you ask me, the views of Manhattan's skyline from Long Island City are far more impressive than that of Williamsburg's and Greenpoint's in Brooklyn.  But definitely not as hip as the aforementioned neighborhoods.  

This is one of my favorite spots in all of New York, either during the day or evening. My first experience was with my husband and friends on a warm summer night.  We decided to go to a restaurant I came upon chance after I googled "restaurants on the East River".  I also wanted Italian.  I wanted good food, good decor, and good views.  Maiella met all these needs.  The food was solid, some dishes even great (the stuffed eggplant and Branzino were among my favorite).  The service was incomparable.  The decor was impressive, the crowd was upscale, and the back garden was lovely with great views of the landmarked Pepsi Cola sign and the Empire State and Chrysler building right across the river. Unfortunately, there was no outdoor seating but dining inside was just as rewarding with floor to ceiling windows all around the restaurant.  

After dinner, we headed out to Gantry Plaza State Park (right next door) and walked along the brand new boardwalk.  There was a playground here for children, beautiful landscaping, breathtaking views of Midtown, lounge chairs, everything one needs for pure happiness.  I highly suggest experiencing Long Island City during sundown and into the night!  If not for dinner, just for drinks will do!

Walking down from Gantry State Park for about half a mile on the boardwalk you will reach Hunters Point South. Both locations have MTA ferry services (a metro card you can purchase on site will give you and children access). On a couple of occasions, I have used the East River Ferry (a 40 minute spectacular ride to either DUMBO or Wall Street/South Street Seaport) with breathtaking views of Brooklyn and Manhattan. Hunters Point South has one of the most spectacular playgrounds in all the five boroughs as well as an amazing sandbox. You will find a splash pad here as well so bring bathing suits for your children along with a scooter and bike to ride along the length of the boardwalk! There are also restrooms and a restaurant called Coffeed which serves pricey American food (menu is included in the gallery). All along the boardwalk you will find Long Island City’s market with food trucks (ice cream trucks, fruit/veggie drinks trucks, crepe trucks, and much more). You will also find restaurants and bars as well as exquisite high rise residential buildings.

Click the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below and feel free to add your comments and feedback!  Follow me on facebook and instagram to see my live adventures!  And share this page with your friends if you appreciate.

 

Gantry State Park Boardwalk

Long Island City Market

Hunters Point South Playground

Long Island City Boardwalk

Gantry State Park

Hunters Point South - Dining at Coffeed

F Train (Elevated in Brooklyn)

Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens

Subway (elevated in some parts of Brooklyn)

Metrocard

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

www.mta.info

A few stops into Brooklyn, the F train emerges from its tunnel into the picturesque neighborhood of Carroll Gardens, where it rises and runs elevated over Park Slope.  Get out at the beautifully renovated Smith-9th Street stop and enjoy the views across Brooklyn to Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty from the platform--the highest elevated point of New York's train system.

This subway also makes a stop at Prospect Park so if you don't have a car, don't feel like looking for parking, and live close enough to the F train in any of the aforementioned boroughs, definitely pay for a MetroCard and visit this park at least once in your life!  The last stop from Manhattan to Brooklyn is Coney Island.  How many cities in the world can you access a beach by a subway system? New York City offers it all!  

I grew up in Kew Gardens, Queens.  I grew up on the F train!  Unfortunately, living in a suburb on Long Island, my children don't get this experience that is so uniquely New York.   One day when we were in the city enjoying Central Park, I decided that it was the perfect day just to introduce my children to NYC's subway system!   Check the video below for the views of the Statue of Liberty when riding on the F train, and the excitement on my kids' faces!

Click on the gallery above to view pictures, the video below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

Queens Botanical Garden

Flushing, NY

Admission Fee, $6 parking, parking on street

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer

Free from November through March on Tuesdays through Sundays

Free on Wednesdays from April through October from 3 to 6pm (double check before you go)

Free on Sundays from April through October from 4 to 6pm (double check before you go)

www.queensbotanicalgarden.org

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If you live close by and have never seen a tree before, yeah sure, this is a decent enough garden.   But considering there are so many parks you can go to in New York for free that are ten times more beautiful, this is a complete waste of time.  Maybe it had something to do with me visiting a little too early (mid April) when enough flowers and trees hadn't bloomed. Regardless of which, it took less than an hour to navigate the entire garden and the programs offered for children were basically arts and crafts projects you can do at home with your kids.  If you are short on time and have to visit one botanical garden in all of New York, then Brooklyn Botanical Garden is the one worth your time and money!  Skip this!

Kill a few birds with one stone:  You can make a day trip with your kids during Spring break and take them to nearby Chuck E' Cheese right after.  If you are kosher, you can grab lunch from any restaurant on Main Street (south of the LIE) and go to this garden for a picnic.  

Click on the gallery above to view pictures, the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

Mets Game - Citi Field

Flushing, NY

price varies

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

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There is no shortage of cheap tickets available for a regular season Mets game!  Best annual tradition for father and son! And if the game gets too boring (always), there is enough to do at Citifield with the kids to keep them occupied!  Batting cages and an "amusement park" as my husband alleges will get you and your child through a 9 inning, uneventful game!  

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

US Open

Flushing, NY

price varies

Optimum Seasons:  Summer

www.usopen.org

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The best time to go to the US Open with your children is on Arthur Ashe Day (free when you walk the grounds, admission to see the concert in Ashe) which is held the Saturday before the tournament begins.  There are practice rounds where the kids will get to see their favorite players playing on all the different courts.  They also hold different events and the kids can actually practice hitting their ground strokes against adult professionals.  Basically, you expose your children to all the fun without the hefty price and without having to sit and watch a one and a half hour match.  No attention span needed!  

When your kids get older, definitely take them to both day and night matches! Nothing beats US Open at the end of the summer!  

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

Hello, World!

Forest Hills

Forest Hills, NY

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One day, I decided to go on an adventure with my children to the place I used to live spent my entire childhood!  It took me a solid half hour to find parking in the area (Austin Street is nearly impossible, Queen Boulevard is your best bet), but it was all worth it in the end! Austin Street is super charming, especially during the Christmas season with its decorations.  It has lots of commercial as well as boutique shops.  

The neighborhood of Forest Hills, which you can access from any street off of Austin Street, is an upper middle class neighborhood modeled after the garden communities of England.  There are many old Tudor-style homes and some of the streets are made entirely of cobblestone.  The West Side Tennis Club here hosted the US Open until 1978!  I particularly love the area around the neighborhood's elevated train station.  If your children love "Thomas & Friends", be sure to take them upstairs to see the train track and marvel at the beauty of the station.  This neighborhood is the closest you'll get to Europe in all of New York City!  Tips:  Go here during the last week of October or first week of November and just walk around the neighborhood (peak of fall foliage) and then go stroll on the hiking paths in nearby Forest Park.  

Click on the gallery above to view pictures and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on intagram and facebook for live adventures!  And share with your friends if you appreciate.

 

Chuck E. Cheese's

New York, NY

Buy tickets for arcade games

Optimum Seasons:  Winter

www.chuckecheese.com

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See Dave & Buster's.  Same idea!  I buy minimum tickets here and stay for hours!  I have only been to the one in Flushing, where you have to pay for indoor parking.  Twice was more than enough for my eyes and theirs to see! This is a great time killer when the kids are off from school, but not really my cup of tea!  Tip:  If you want to avoid paying for parking, go to the Chuck E Cheese's in Hicksville.

Kill two birds with one stone:  Shop around the mall if you go to the one in Flushing. 

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

Queens County Farm

Little Neck, NY

Optimum Seasons:  Fall

www.queensfarm.com

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This is not the best farm in NYC by any means, but it is close to my home and there is no admission fee.  So it is a win win experience!  I went here two times, once with my one year old, husband, parents and sisters and the next with my two sons when they were seven and four.   This experience will take at most three hours of your day.  Just note that the farm offers no fruit or apple picking.  

In the month of October, they have a pumpkin patch repeating every Saturday and Sunday as well as the amazing maize maze (a three acre corn maze that takes approximately 45 minutes to get through and is a great experience with your young children!!!  Costs $10 per adult and $5 per child over 4 years old). They also have a Haunted House the last weekend of October.

Kill a few birds with one stone:  If you are in the mood to see beautiful and lavish homes, drive north approximately 2 miles to the neighborhood of Little Neck (which is also amazing for trick or treating so best to go to the farm on Halloween day so you can go through this neighborhood after.  There are two sections, one west of Little Neck Parkway and one East (between the LIE and Northern Blvd).  The west section is the nice homes but the east is where all the great trick or treating and decoration action is!  Visit both.  You won't regret it.  Also, if you love Christmas decorations, come back in two months and visit the neighborhood again!

For a list of other farms, click here.

Click on the gallery above to view pictures and the video below to get an idea of the corn maze.  And add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  Share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

Alley Park

Bayside, NY

No admission fee, free parking on street

Optimum Seasons:  Fall

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The most scenic part of this park is Oakland Lake (the Northwest point).  If you get here an hour before sunset on a clear sunny day, you will be due for the most exquisite sunset!  The foliage is brighter, the colors reflecting off the pond are more vibrant, and the shots are perfect.  You can use your children as props in photos, go on a romantic date, or just go here alone, sit on a bench and read a book for some tranquility.  I go here without fail every year in early November for photo ops. My favorite of all things fall foliage!  Important Fact:  This is located on Cloverdale Blvd one block south of Northern Blvd.  

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Drive around the neighborhood of Bayside north of Northern Blvd.  Specifically Bayside Terrace...some streets are private, but that never really has stopped me!!  Also, stop by Martha's Bakery on Bell Blvd on your way there and the Bayside Shopping Center.  Also, depending on whether you go on a Sunday or not, you can find a rope course activity at neighboring Alley Pond Park. 

For a list of other great places to take fall foliage pics, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!